What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Rice Amino Acids
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Aspartate
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Chitosan
Propyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract
RefreshingEchinacea Purpurea Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingSodium Polyaspartate
HumectantBenzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Polyquaternium-4
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Ferula Galbaniflua Resin Oil
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
CI 42053
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Sorbitol, Glycine, Alanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Arginine, Lysine, Glutamic Acid, Rice Amino Acids, Zinc Aspartate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Phospholipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Chitosan, Propyl Gallate, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Sodium Polyaspartate, Benzophenone-4, Polyquaternium-4, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Limonene, Linalool, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Ferula Galbaniflua Resin Oil, Parfum, CI 42053
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Arctium Lappa Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Oleth-10
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 20, Adenosine, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Arctium Lappa Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Oleth-10, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium PCA (the salt of PCA) is one of the most well-established humectants in skincare.
Why is it so special? Your skin already makes it naturally; it's a natural component of your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the mix of water-binding compounds inside your skin cells that keeps things soft and hydrated.
As a cosmetic ingredient, it grabs water and holds it in the upper layers of skin to smooth roughness and ease dehydration.
There's some clinical support for the NMF approach with a study showing that a cream built to mimic the skin's NMF significantly boosted hydration.
Safety-wise, this ingredient non-irritating, non-comedogenic, and non-phototoxic in testing, with minimal skin absorption.
It also works really well with other hydrators like glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and typical usage is somewhere between 0.2-4%.
Learn more about Sodium PCAWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
